


Tales of Heliotrope, Daughter of Thorin

by Tygermama



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Everybody Lives, F/M, Female Bilbo, Female Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-01 03:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tygermama/pseuds/Tygermama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small stories about the daughter of Thorin and Bilba, focused mainly on Heli and Thorin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Late Night Snuggles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bead](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bead/gifts).



"Adad?" a tiny voice asked.

"snh?" came the completely incoherent reply.

"Adad?" the tiny voice grew a bit more emphatic and accompanied their question with a firm tug on the blankets.

Thorin cracked an eye opened and blinked at his daughter. He had to lean a bit to look down at her, her dark hair a bird’s nest from sleep.

"Sprout? What’s the matter, dear?" he asked, pushing himself up.

"Bad dream." Sprout replied, holding up her arms.

Thorin picked her up and tucked her into bed beside him. “What was the dream about?” he asked as he got them both settled.

"You and Mama got losted and I couldn’t find you." Sprout snuggled close, eyes wide.

"Oh, dear child, wherever you may go, you know your mother and I will always find you, don’t you?" Thorin said, gently running his hand over Sprout’s hair.

Sprout yawned and then glared mildly at her father, “Wasn’t lost! You were lost! I knew where I was!”

"Ah, yes. My apologies," Thorin said, trying not to laugh. "Well, if your Amad and I ever get lost, you know you can always call on Fili and Kili and Dwalin and all your uncles to help you. You would not be alone in your quest to find us."

Sprout thought this over before she yawned again. “Well. That’s okay but you should still not get lost too.”

"I shall endeavor to do so, little one." Thorin said, yawning and letting his eyes close.

"Mama says we should put a bell on you so’s if you get lost again, we can hear where you are." Sprout said sleepily.

Thorin’s eyes popped back open. “Oh, she did, did she?”

The blanket-covered lump on the other side of the bed began to shake.

A soft sigh came from Sprout. She was already asleep.

The lump continued to shake.

Thorin snorted, “I’d like to see you try.”

The lump that was his darling wife began to squeak as she attempted to stifle her giggles.

Thorin just harrumphed and went back to sleep.


	2. In Which Tea Solves All Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bead was right. This is the Middle Earth version of 'when a toddler hands you a toy phone, you answer it.'

“Tea, Adad?”

 

“Yes, please, Sprout.” Thorin replied, holding out his tea cup.

 

“Very pleasant weather today, don’t you agree, Adad?”

 

“Yes, very nice. Especially for this time of year,” Thorin replied, sipping his imaginary tea and wondering what the weather really was like, he hadn’t been outside in days.

 

“And how are you liking the tea, Mr Thranduil?” Sprout asked, her bright blue eyes twinkling up at her other ~~captive~~ guest.

 

Thranduil nodded his head as regally as he was able, crammed into a small chair intended for a dwarven child, “It is most excellent tea, thank you very much for sharing it, Princess Heliotrope.”

 

“You are quite welcome, Mr Thranduil. Please, you may call me Heli, if you like. Only stuffy people call me princess.” Sprout politely folded her hands in her lap, beaming at her guests, every inch her mother’s child.

 

Thorin choked a little, taking another sip of ‘tea’ to cover it.

 

Thranduil smiled thinly, “I am indeed honoured, Heli.”

 

“There, isn’t this nicer than you two yelling at each other? And over gold of all things!” Heli said, her manner a perfect balance of exasperated and indulgent that Thorin thought only her mother could pull off.

 

Thorin drank some more of his ‘tea’ to cover a bark of malicious laughter when Thranduil began to turn a delicate shade of red.

 

“Now I’m glad you both decided to come and have tea with me so we can settle our differences like civilized people. Amad says tea solves everything.” Heli said, smiling up at the two kings.

 

Thorin glanced at Thranduil, expecting to see barely contained outrage on the elf’s face.

 

Instead, he saw a Thranduil torn between anger at his daughter’s presumption and amusement at her glib handling of what was actually a contentious point of trade that had frustrated both kings for weeks.

 

Heli picked up a plate from the table and held it out to her guests, “Would you care for a biscuit? I helped make them!”

 

Thorin caught Thranduil’s eye.

 

Thranduil’s eye caught Thorin’s.

 

For once the two kings were united. They both acknowledged the ridiculousness of their situation. And they shared the deep conviction that at this point of time, they must not laugh.


	3. The Measure of a Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dain is a simple dwarf. He wants his people to be safe and prosperous. He likes ale. He disdains vegetables. He's a dwarf's dwarf. 
> 
> And while he doesn't like his cousin, that doesn't mean that given the right evidence, he won't change his mind.

Dain could safely say (at least to himself) that he didn’t like his cousin.

There was no particular reason for this. They just didn’t know each other very well and circumstances being what they were, never had a chance to take each other’s measure and connect as anything other than dwarves and rulers. The fact that the most time they spent together since, well, ever, was either on a battlefield or in a stuffy rooms negotiating treaties did not help matters.

It was in another of these interminable meetings that Dain’s opinion began to change.

“So, in short, Lord Master, you feel that since Erebor has the most gold, we should pay for the security of your boats, your men, your caravans, your trade. And in return, we can expect to pay higher tariffs on grain shipments?” Thorin said, arching an eyebrow.

Dain watched the greasy human squirm while trying to justify his attempt to offload Laketown’s share of the costs in the new mutual protection pact onto Erebor.

Dain could definitely say he did not like the Master of Laketown. Not only had the man become even more conniving since the restoration of Erebor and Dale, he always smelt of cloves. Cloves gave Dain wind.

“It is the position of Greenwood that since King Thorin has agreed to outfit all those who volunteer to guard our new trade routes at reduced cost, that the dwarves of the Mountain be exempt from any further costs, whether they be training or resources for the new signal towers and waystations,” Prince Legolas politely but firmly cut in.

Dain had decided that Legolas was quite tolerable for a tree-shagger. The prince could hold his ale passably well and even for all his snooty airs, it was obvious that he found these proceedings as boring as Dain did.

Thorin nodded to Legolas and then turned to glare at the Master of Laketown, tiring of the man and his nonsense, “Thank you, Prince Legolas. Erebor looks forward to assisting our allies in this way. It is, after all, all to our mutual benefit.” 

Dain also liked Thorin’s newfound tolerance for elves as well. Not that he didn’t think Thorin had good reason for Thorin’s former hatred of elves, it was just that he felt that the entire region had enough troubles as it was. He had no idea what had inspired Thorin’s new attitude though. His attempts at discreet enquiries had only turned up mention of a ‘tea party’. 

Dain still had no idea what the hell that was supposed to mean.

The Master was gearing himself up for more sniveling when the door creaked open.

Thorin’s face darkened. These were closed sessions and they all found any interruptions on prolonged the proceedings and…

In shuffled the little princess, Heli-something or other.

She was definitely ill.. Her nose was red, her eyes were rheumy, her hair a rat’s nest. She was clutching what looked to be a stuffed toy bear wearing knuckledusters in one hand and dragging a patchwork quilt in the other.

Dain’s heart went out the wee badger. It was the season for head colds and Dain well remembered nursing his own son through his illnesses.

Heli made her way to the head of the table, sniffling and glaring at everyone in the room.

Dain stifled a grin. She was definitely Thorin’s daughter.

Thorin pushed his chair back as Heli approached, raising her arms with a soft whine.

Thorin took the quilt from Heli and wrapped her up in it before picking her up and settling her beside him in the crook of his arm. With his free hand, Thorin pulled a handkerchief out his surcoat and wiped Heli’s nose, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead as she grizzled at him in annoyance. Heli balefully looked around the table, as if challenging those gathered to contest her right to cuddle into her father’s side. Then with a sigh, she closed her eyes and dozed.

About an hour later, Queen Bella came in, announcing the arrival of much needed refreshments. As she and her helpers served tea and plates of cookies and scones, she handed Thorin a small cup, which he then coaxed Heli into drinking.

Dain heard her quiet protests and Thorin soothing her with a “Yes, Sprout. I know it tastes awful. That’s how you know it’s good for you.” and tried not to chuckle.

Bella brushed Heli’s hair back and kissed her forehead. She then gestured, silently asking Thorin if he wanted her to take their child and Thorin nodded ‘no’, holding Heli a little closer to him. Bella gave his shoulder a fond squeeze and swept out, taking the empty cups and plates with her.

And so the meeting continued, arguments about waystation placement and trainee quotas punctuated by small coughs and tender words as Thorin tended to his daughter without fuss.

Dain decided he liked his cousin after all.


	4. An Unexpected Gift (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> for my lovely bead
> 
> Children (of all ages) and the Dogs who Love Them.

Thorin paced on the parapet, stopping every minute or so to look northeast, the Dale Road.

Dwalin leaned against a pillar and cleaned under his fingernails with a knife.

"They'll be home soon," he said.

Thorin grunted.

"The signal towers'll let us know they're coming before you ever see 'em," Dwalin said disinterestedly. They'd had this talk before, many times. He didn't expect anything to change this time.

Thorin grunted again.

"Why do you do this every time? You're gonna wear a hole in my parapet. People'll trip. It'll be a hazard." Dwalin said, putting his knife away.

Thorin snorted. "You are a jackass."

"Yup." Dwalin replied.

It was over an hour later, and Dwalin had been flinging pebbles at the back of Thorin's head, trying to get them to stick in his hair, when the horns sounded.

As Dwalin had said ( _time and time again_ ), the signal towers let the whole mountain know that their queen and princess were home from their biannual trip to the elven kingdom.

{}{}{}

Thorin, Dwalin and a few servants were waiting at the gates when Dwalin noticed that Bella's party was larger than it should be.

Taller too.

"Why'd she bring elves back with her?" Thorin asked, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "The whole point of her visiting them is that they don't have to come here. "

Dwalin snorted. "Yer just mad you have to pretend to be civil instead of-"

Thorin punched Dwalin in the arm, "Yes, I know."

Both dwarves stopped talking as the large group came closer and they realized the cloud of dust that was being kicked up wasn't just because of ponies and horses. They seemed to be herding something too.

Or more accurately, the group was being herded by large, rumbling, furry shapes that ran back and forth among the riders.

"If I didn't know better..." Thorin trailed off.

Dwalin shook his head, "Can’t be."

There was a rider coming up ahead of the rest at a trot. A smaller group of the herding animals following along behind.

Soon the rider became clear. Klinear was a Silvan elf, part of the group that patrolled Mirkwood's northern borders. He was popular with Kili and the younger dwarrows including...

"Adad!" Heli yelled, securely held in front the elf, waving her arms and beaming brightly. 

"Look! Look at all the puppies we found!"

The rumbling shapes were indeed dogs. Large dogs with thick fur and strong bodies. Built like the dwarves who had bred them in the mountain for work hauling in the mines and guarding homes and livestock. 

"But I thought we had lost them," Dwalin whispered.

Ereborean mastiffs. Once as much as symbol of the Mountain as the sign of Durin. 

When the dragon came, the refugees had barely enough for themselves much less enough to care and feed their beloved companions. One more mark of shame for them to bear.

Upon return to the Mountain, Thorin had held out some small hope that some of the dogs may have survived in the wild but the reality of the Desolation had dashed that hope.

"I thought we had too." Thorin said, his voice hitching.

Klinear pulled his horse up a few yards from the waiting dwarves and quickly dismounted, Heli impatiently wriggling to be free.

Once her feet were on the ground, she ran straight for Thorin, nimbling dodging around the dogs. The adults were loomed over her, the puppies up to her shoulder.

Thorin bent to scoop Heli up, her excited babbling washing over him. The courtyard had become a chaotic mess of dwarves, ponies, horses and dogs milling about. The dogs sniffing and barking and inspecting everything in sight.

Two black and tan puppies had thrown themselves fearlessly at Dwalin’s boots, determined to subdue them while Dwalin stared down at them, an incredulous grin on his face.

“Look! Aren’t they great! Amad asked Mr. Thranduil but he doesn’t know anything about dogs but Tauriel did and she asked Klinear and Klinear said ‘Yes, I do believe I know what kind of dogs you’re talking about’ and then he went away and when he came back he had a puppy! A puppy for me! And her amad and her adad and her…” Heli kissed Thorin on the cheek and nearly threw herself out of his arms, pointing to where one of the adult dogs was sitting, panting in the morning sun and looking calmly on the chaos around it.

“That’s Sunera. She’s my puppy’s amad. She’s big enough for me to ride but Amad said it would be rude.” Heli said. “Put me down, Adad. I want to show you- there she is!”

Thorin put Heli down, looking up wide-eyed at his wife as she pulled up on her pony.

Bella had a huge smile on her face and swept a hand out to her side, gesturing to the assembly as if to say ‘Ta Da!’.

Thorin smiled back at her. He had never expected that she would have remembered their drowsy conversation about the various pets they’d had as children as they lay in the dark, softly talking themselves to sleep. 

But she had.

Of course she’d remember him fondly reminiscing about the pets he’d had as a child. How much he’d missed having a dog.

“Look, Adad!” Heli drew his attention back to her, barely keeping her feet as she held up a rufous bundle of fluff that probably weighed as much as she did. The puppy was making a spirited attempt at licking Heli’s face, twisting this way and that.

“This is my puppy! Her name is Mabel!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ereborean Mastiffs are modeled on Tibetan Mastiffs. 
> 
>  
> 
> [You can see them here. Link goes to Google Image Search](https://www.google.ca/search?q=tibetan+mastiff&client=firefox-a&hs=ljo&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=HT5MU_29JJLiyAGEmIDoCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=920)


End file.
